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London is located in the southeastern part of England along the River Thames. The proximity to this body of water makes it an optimal location for a port, allowing the city to initially start thriving with commerce from traders entering from various countries. Today, the city's location allows for ferry services connecting to the rest of Europe and Ireland. The Trainline rail system goes under the English Channel and goes to cities in Europe, such as Paris and Brussels.
It is stated that London was founded under the name Londinium in 43 AD by the Romans, who remained there until the fifth century AD. Over the next several centuries, the city was invaded by multiple people, including the Anglo-Saxons, Vikings, and the Normans. In the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries, London became a major hub for European trading as it had a strong textile industry.
By the seventeenth century, the city had more than 500,000 inhabitants. It was during this time that London saw great tragedies through the Great Plague and a massive fire in 1666 that destroyed much of the city.Upon rebuilding of the city, the establishment of the Bank of England allowed for the city to grow as a commercial hub. In the eighteenth century, the Industrial Revolution brought millions of people to London. The population of the city continued to grow until World War I, when it started to decline at the end of the war with people moving to suburban areas. In 1940, the city of London was subject to the Blitz, a series of bombings by German soldiers that lasted until 1941.
London was rebuilt strategically after the World Wars, with authorities creating satellite towns outside of London to help with overcrowding. The city has been prosperous for the past several decades and is still a successful business and tourist hub.
There are dozens of sights to see in London, and below is a list of some of the most popular:
- Tower of London
- Tower Bridge
- Churchill War Rooms
- National Gallery
- The British Museum
- Westminster Abbey
- Victoria and Albert Museum
- St. Paul's Cathedral
- Natural History Museum
- Borough Market
- Hyde Park
- Up at the O2